Post by nickd on Apr 24, 2012 21:25:36 GMT 1
"User - Friendly" Tribunals
Jonathon Djanogly
Yet Ken Clarke says...
"Every Member sitting in the Chamber is used to giving advice on social security benefits, because we do it all the time..."
This strikes me as a bit of a contradiction between the man at the top of the justice tree and his junior, why would people be hot footing it down to their local parliamentary constituency over their social security benefits if it was all as 'user friendly' as Mr Djanogly says I wonder?
Well perhaps we could have a question or two, three or may be many more over precisely what it is that the Ken Clarke and his fellow ministers do for their constituents when presented with a benefits problems?
I had a little trawl on the internet & stumbled across a 2007/2008 (when social economic problems were perhaps a little less dire than today) and came across a very impressive annual report by Nottingham CAB, well served with a veritable mix of volunteers and legal aid specialists (who deal with around 10% of all enquiries picked up by their telephone gateway). You can have a read of it here...
www.nottinghamcab.org.uk/Attachments/Annual%20reports/Nottingham%20CAB%20Annual%20report%2008.pdf
www.nottinghamcab.org.uk/Attachments/Annual%20reports/Annual%20report%202009-10%20A4.pdf
I am left wondering, given the existence of such good advice in the locality, just why people would even need to go and see their MP; perhaps Ken Clarke would like to tell us all precisely what it is that he does in the way of social security benefit advice work in his locality?
Oh, there's even more advice available in Nottingham...
The suggestion in the Green Paper that alternative sources of advice exist is not true. Nottingham Law Centre is part of a consortium of advice agencies providing advice across Nottingham. Two other agencies also advise under LSC contracts and all are subject to cuts of local authority and FIF funding as well. The advice sector already struggles to cope with existing demand which outstrips supply. The proposals will mean that individuals will go without advice or access to justice.
The suggestion that people can represent themselves in dealings with public authorities, Courts and Tribunals is misguided and will mean inequality before the law. The cases that we represent on are complex legal matters and the tribunal chairs regularly sign a pro forma to certify that representation was necessary.
www.lawcentres.org.uk/uploads/Nottingham_Law_Centre_Green_Paper_Consultation_Response.pdf
www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/introtowelfarerightsservice_aug09.pdf
And more here...
"A man with severe hearing loss who
communicates by text and lip-reading
submitted an appeal against refusal of
Disability Living Allowance on 21 August
2009. The papers for the hearing were
sent to the Tribunals Service on 26
November 2009 . As at 30 April 2010 a
hearing date was still awaited. Total
delay 250 days or 8 months and 9 days.
The delay has caused financial hardship
to a man whose wife has just given birth
and who is on low pay. (Nottinghamshire
Welfare Rights Service)."
ajtc.justice.gov.uk/docs/Time_Limits_final.pdf
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/23/government-reform-disability-benefits
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/tribs-stats/quarterly-tribs-stats-q2-11-12.pdf
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=651#ixzz1t08mNj6K
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Links for reference
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=434#ixzz1sA3yOJ89
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=642#ixzz1s9y734AQ
Tribunal costs
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=434#ixzz1sA3yOJ89
Link to 2 Mr Hill
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=577#ixzz1s9HIKeM1
Link to 3 Appeals
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/21/benefits-appeals-system-near-collapse
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/06/no-turning-back-work-capability-assessment
Jonathon Djanogly
“...we have also taken into account the fact that the accessible, inquisitorial, and user-friendly nature of the tribunal means that appellants can generally present their case without assistance.” - Jonathon Djanogly
Yet Ken Clarke says...
"Every Member sitting in the Chamber is used to giving advice on social security benefits, because we do it all the time..."
This strikes me as a bit of a contradiction between the man at the top of the justice tree and his junior, why would people be hot footing it down to their local parliamentary constituency over their social security benefits if it was all as 'user friendly' as Mr Djanogly says I wonder?
Well perhaps we could have a question or two, three or may be many more over precisely what it is that the Ken Clarke and his fellow ministers do for their constituents when presented with a benefits problems?
I had a little trawl on the internet & stumbled across a 2007/2008 (when social economic problems were perhaps a little less dire than today) and came across a very impressive annual report by Nottingham CAB, well served with a veritable mix of volunteers and legal aid specialists (who deal with around 10% of all enquiries picked up by their telephone gateway). You can have a read of it here...
www.nottinghamcab.org.uk/Attachments/Annual%20reports/Nottingham%20CAB%20Annual%20report%2008.pdf
www.nottinghamcab.org.uk/Attachments/Annual%20reports/Annual%20report%202009-10%20A4.pdf
I am left wondering, given the existence of such good advice in the locality, just why people would even need to go and see their MP; perhaps Ken Clarke would like to tell us all precisely what it is that he does in the way of social security benefit advice work in his locality?
Oh, there's even more advice available in Nottingham...
The suggestion in the Green Paper that alternative sources of advice exist is not true. Nottingham Law Centre is part of a consortium of advice agencies providing advice across Nottingham. Two other agencies also advise under LSC contracts and all are subject to cuts of local authority and FIF funding as well. The advice sector already struggles to cope with existing demand which outstrips supply. The proposals will mean that individuals will go without advice or access to justice.
The suggestion that people can represent themselves in dealings with public authorities, Courts and Tribunals is misguided and will mean inequality before the law. The cases that we represent on are complex legal matters and the tribunal chairs regularly sign a pro forma to certify that representation was necessary.
www.lawcentres.org.uk/uploads/Nottingham_Law_Centre_Green_Paper_Consultation_Response.pdf
www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/introtowelfarerightsservice_aug09.pdf
And more here...
"A man with severe hearing loss who
communicates by text and lip-reading
submitted an appeal against refusal of
Disability Living Allowance on 21 August
2009. The papers for the hearing were
sent to the Tribunals Service on 26
November 2009 . As at 30 April 2010 a
hearing date was still awaited. Total
delay 250 days or 8 months and 9 days.
The delay has caused financial hardship
to a man whose wife has just given birth
and who is on low pay. (Nottinghamshire
Welfare Rights Service)."
ajtc.justice.gov.uk/docs/Time_Limits_final.pdf
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/23/government-reform-disability-benefits
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/tribs-stats/quarterly-tribs-stats-q2-11-12.pdf
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=651#ixzz1t08mNj6K
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Links for reference
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=434#ixzz1sA3yOJ89
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=642#ixzz1s9y734AQ
Tribunal costs
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=434#ixzz1sA3yOJ89
Link to 2 Mr Hill
Read more: mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontline&action=display&thread=577#ixzz1s9HIKeM1
Link to 3 Appeals
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/21/benefits-appeals-system-near-collapse
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/06/no-turning-back-work-capability-assessment